202 Events in the Bahr el Ghazal.

They were straightway enlisted by Thruston, and eventually brought back under the British flag to Uganda. Events in We must now take a glance at the Bahr el Ghazal, and Ghazal up to endeavour to bring the history of that province, for the 1894™"' present, up to the beginning of 1894.

1886 " The state of things in the Bahr el Ghazal since 1886 had been, on the whole, peaceable. On the death of Osman Ganu, Dervish commandant of Shakka, about Ab 8 *M ' 188, the Emir Abu Mariam had succeeded him, and for ' three or four years little fighting had taken place. The country had relapsed into its original barbarous state of small native independent tribes, and Dervish influence, although nominally extending over the whole province, did not make itself felt in the direction of aggression.

Nothing worthy of record occurred until La Kethulle appeared on the scene from the Foutb. This officer had 1891. • been ordered by Van Kerckhoven in 1891 to proceed to Rafai's, make friendly treaties with him, and obtain his assistance in furthering Van Kerckhoven's expedition.

1892. He left Bomokandi in February, 1892, and reached Rafai's early in April. Here he was received in a most friendly manner, and made a treaty with Rafai on the 7th April. During the remainder of the year he established Congo posts up to the 7th parallel of north latitude, such as Alewali and Bandassi. Rafai assisted him to the best of his ability, and from December, 1892, to April, 1893. 1893, accompanied him on an exploring tour via Yangu, Baraka, and the Upper Bali to Sango and back. La Kethulle then returned to Yakoma, where a large expedition for the North was being organised by the Belgians, under Captain Nilis.

During this summer (1893), in consequence of some inter-tribal fighting, Abu Mariam advanced against the Dinka or Janghe tribe. A battle took place, in which Dinkas beat Abu Mariam was killed and his force destroyed, whereupon the fugitive Dervishes took refuge in Shakka, leaving many of their rifles in the hands of the Janghe. On hearing of this, the Belgian Governor of Semio (Le Marinel) sent to Faki Ahmed and Adjerra, chiefs in the Dar Fertit, and unwilling allies of the Dervishes, asking them to make common cause with the Janghe against the Mahdists. At the same time he despatched an ally of Semio's, one Baudue, who appears to have been starting an expedition in the direction of Dem Bekr " to